We don’t think too much about it while everyone is trading temperature reports and talking about record breaking lows, but at some point the clash between the weather we are experiencing and the cold tolerance of our plants will become something to reckon with.
We won’t know just how hard our winter was on our plants until late spring.
Even damaged plants may sprout and look like they survived in the earliest parts of spring, but if a plant was winter-killed you will know once the temperatures heat up.
If you have snow cover your plants are better protected; if you have mulches, so much the better and the roots are insulated against “heaving” happening from frost action. Something Northern gardeners often do is inspect their plants once the ground defrosts a bit, then use ones heel to push heaved plants back into the earth. (Things like heucheras are especially susceptible). Roots exposed to wind are more likely to cause plant’s demise than the cold temperatures.
The University of Minnesota, where they know about such things, publishes information on effects of winter damage on trees and shrubs.
Tags: frost action, winter damage
Hocking Hills Gardener says
January 18, 2009 at 5:08 pmWhen the temperatures got so low I was finally glad for all the snow.I am never satisfied 🙂 but hopefully my plants will be better for the snow cover.
Msrobin says
January 18, 2009 at 6:59 pmI have actually been thinking about the bitter cold’s effect on my plants. But we got a nice insulating blanket of snow just before the cold hit, so I hope they will be a bit protected. Only time will tell.
TC says
January 18, 2009 at 9:49 pmI’m quite familiar with heaving. Anyone gardening in the northeast (zone 5) probably knows about it. I might also suggest adding mulch after you gently tamp heaved up roots back down into the soil. There’s good info at that University of Minnesota Extension site too.
jodi says
January 18, 2009 at 11:23 pmI didn’t get anything mulched this year before snow came/my surgery came, so it’s going to be interesting to see what, if any, winter damage we find in spring. I don’t mulch a lot here for winter, just a few things that are a bit finicky, but we’re buried in snow here so maybe we’ll be okay until spring.
Ilona says
January 19, 2009 at 1:48 amTC -adding mulch is a great idea, if one has it handy.
HHG + jodi, I hope the snow cover holds and that it kept your garden plants through another year.
MsRobin, keeping fingers crossed 🙂
Kylee says
January 19, 2009 at 5:37 amI mulched well and was glad to see the snow come since I knew we were expecting very cold weather shortly after.
It’s always interesting to see what doesn’t make it in the spring, isn’t it? There’s always something. Took me a little while before I learned to take that in stride.
Yes, those darn heucheras. Always heaving…